TV personality Stephen Fry has joined descendants of William Wordsworth in reading poetry online to celebrate 250 years since the poet was born in Cockermouth.
Staff at Rydal Mount near Grasmere have created a new website to enable anyone to record themselves reading their favourite poem by William.
And to kick off the venture, Stephen Fry recorded a poem along with two of Wordsworth’s descendants which are now on the website.
The first three poems are live now, beginning with Stephen Fry reading The world is too much with us.
He is followed by Susan Wordsworth Andrew – the poet’s great great great grand-daughter – reading Afterthought, and Thea Aitchison – the poet’s great great great great great grand-daughter – reading My heart leaps up.
The project is being led by Christopher Wordsworth Andrew, the great great great great grandson of the poet whose family still own the house at Rydal Mount.
The website is www.wordsworth250.com and contributions can be made by members of the public to wordsworth250@gmail.com ; audio or video files can be submitted and can be taken on a mobile phone. If files are too large to email, they can be sent using We Transfer.
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